Without the need for a bike for cross training and the grants I’d just ride a Canadian Tire bike I think.

I'd mostly agree, but electronic derailleurs are amazing. This is really the only feature of higher end bikes that I think has made a major difference in the past 20 years. Traditional derailleurs have always been finnicky, weird, and slow (at least compared to electric), and I've ridden bikes with the nicest shimano and sram stuff so it isn't a matter of having the best components, it was always just a bad system. There are other advantages to this, like multiple shift points so you don't have to reposition to shift, and while that's advanced stuff that regular people don't need, it can still be a neat gimmick you can add onto any bike.